DENVER-
Investigators believe a man arrested on drug charges in a gang crackdown last week may have been present when Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed, the suspect’s attorney said.
Investigators believe Vernon Edwards, 29, of suburban Aurora may have been in a sport-utility vehicle carrying the gunman or gunmen who shot Williams, Edwards’ attorney, Anthony Viorst, told The Denver Post in Thursday’s editions.
Viorst said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Podolak told him investigators believe Edwards is connected to the Williams case. Podolak and a spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney declined to comment.
Edwards’ sister, Queen McClain, and his girlfriend, Billie Lambson, told The Post that Edwards was in bed with the flu at the time Williams was shot. Lambson said she was with Edwards that day.
McClain and Lambson said police told them a witness has placed Edwards in the suspect SUV when Williams was shot.
“They told us that if he wasn’t in the SUV then he knows who was,” Lambson said.
Williams, 24, was struck once in the neck and two other passengers were wounded when at least 14 shots were fired into the stretch Hummer that had just left a New Year’s Eve party at a nightclub.
Edwards was arrested on cocaine trafficking charges in massive gang sweep on April 26. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
More than 450 officers from three states arrested 49 people on suspicion of money-laundering and distributing drugs and firearms. Officers seized 74 firearms, $1.4 million in cash, cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy and three vehicles, authorities said.
One those indicted in that investigation was Brian Hicks, 28, the registered owner of the SUV that authorities believe was used in Williams’ slaying.
Hicks was in jail awaiting trial on attempted murder charges when Williams was killed.
